egress
UK[ˈiːɡres]US[ˈiːɡres]
n
A way out; an exit.
n
The action of going out of or leaving a place.
v
To go out of or leave a place.
Morpheme Breakdown
e
gress
e
out
gress
to step, to go
Etymology
The word "egress" is a direct borrowing from Latin egressus, the past participle of egredi, meaning "to go out". This verb is itself a compound of the prefix ex- (meaning "out") and the verb gradi (meaning "to step, to go"). The root gradi is part of a large family of English words related to movement and steps, such as "progress", "digress", and "grade". Thus, the literal meaning of "to step out" evolved seamlessly into the modern abstract meanings of an exit or the act of leaving, perfectly capturing the concept of moving from an interior to an exterior space.
Analysis
Structure: e (out) + gress (to step, to go)
- e: A Latin prefix meaning "out of, from".
- gress: From the Latin root gressus, meaning "a step, going", from the verb gradi (to step, to walk).
Examples
The building code requires clear markings for all points of egress.
The actor made a dramatic egress from the stage.
After the meeting, the crowd egressed through the main doors.